
Lagerfeld oversaw as many as eight Chanel collections a year: spring, fall, skiwear, haute couture and more France’s richest The combination of mass-market appeal and high-end exclusivity helped Chanel grow into a colossus with beauty counters and boutiques worldwide, 20,000 employees and operating profit of US$2.7 billion in 2017. BNP Paribas estimated the brand’s value at more than US$50 billion, making the Wertheimers among France’s wealthiest citizens. With other holdings such as Bordeaux vineyards, a thoroughbred horse stable and paintings by 20th century masters, each brother has a net worth of almost US$21 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Lagerfeld himself amassed a personal fortune of about €400 million ($613 million), according to the latest annual rich-list compiled by Germany’s Manager Magazin.